Sanda Arashi
Sanda Arashi (サンダー) contemporaneously known by his nom de guerre "Blood", was born in the Valley of Hell in the Land of Hot Water to the Chinoike Clan. Sanda was Raikage of Kumogakure shortly before his abdication. Sanda is also remembered for leading Kumogakure troops during an Expedition to the Land Of Demons. At the height of his internal power and external prestige, the process of territorial expansion and creation of the modern Kumogakure-state was complete. He struggled with his identity during his early years as a shinobi and given the historical persecution of the Chinoike Clan (which he kept secret) some of Sanda's greatest challenges came from within the village itself. Having overcome seemingly insurmountable feats in his endeavour to establish his place in the world he would eventually earn the respect of his allies to become the next Raikage (temporary position following the death of the previous Raikage). Having discovered that Sanda Arashi was a member of the Chinoike Clan clan he experienced conflict which aroused suspicion where he was falsely accused of having murdered the former Raikage to ascertain his position. He later went into exile in the Land of Water Background There was an urban legend surrounding the Black Forest in Kumogakure of a carnivorous man-eating tree which ensnared and crushed its prey with brambled thorns and siphoned the blood from their lifeless corpses before devouring their flesh and bones. A story which was particularly popular among chunin who were often too afraid to enter the Black Forest for fear of being eaten alive by the creature known as the Corpsewood Tree. It was forbidden for anyone to enter the forest (except by special permission through Raikage) however, this did not stop a young chunin by the name of Takamasa Ishihara from entering the forest one day while seeking to prove his worth by braving against the myth of the Black Forest in order to impress his crush, Yuri Kochiyama. He was to return to his fellow classmates with a Sanguine Clover which grows at the foot of the Corpsewood Tree. Upon hearing that Takamasa had entered the forest Yuri rushed in after him. The two of them wandered aimlessly for hours until they ran into each other. Yuri insisted that the two of them leave but Takamasa was determined to finish what he started. Before long they stumbled upon a large peculiar tree surrounded by a crimson lake. As the two approached the lake a sense disquietude stole over them. They could feel something watching them. As Yuri touches one of the tree's she notices its unique maroon shade and liquid texture. When one of its branches break off it immediately grows another in its place with a red ooze that'd solidified itself moments after. "Fascinating. It's similar to the oxidation of the platelet cells in our blood which induces blood clots, but in this case there is a strange regenerative factor.. " - Yuri Kochiyama She pricks herself on of the trees thorns which draws blood, but it quickly heals over when an infusion of red liquid seeps in through the open wound. Yuri is at first surprised by this but she is immediately possessed by something other than herself as her eyes turn red. When Takamasa turns around to show Yuri that he has discovered a Sanguine Clover she has her Kunai drawn and begins to attack him. Takamasa, however, manages to subdue and restrain her. It is in this moment that Takamasa hears a voice from behind which tells him that she is possessed by his Kekkei Genkai. This boy (Sanda Arashi) was around the same age as him and was standing on one of the Branches of the Corpsewood tree. Takamasa and Sanda eventually clash, but Takamasa, for all his talent, is easily overwhelmed by Sanda's Kekkei Genkai. It was as if the tree itself came to life and changed from a solid to a liquid as it started thrashing about. The commotion eventually attracted the attention of several Shinobi who enter into the battlefield. Sanda is eventually neutralized and taken into custody where he is personally interrogated by the Raikage. The Raikage was surprised to find that the myth surrounding the Corpsewood tree was a fable brought to life by a member of the Chinoike Clan, he was even more surprised to find a member of the Chinoike Clan living secretly alone in the forest. It is discovered that Sanda was an orphan and that his mother died at birth, and his father together with Arashi left the Valley of Hell to reconnect with their ancestral homeland. However, his father was hunted down by a Jashinist bounty hunter and killed. The Raikage, felt such compassion for the young boy that he allowed him to be raised in the village under the tutelage of one of his personal advisors. Raikage Kumogakure was transformed under Sanda: the major signposts of modernization with the help of key ministerial advisors, such as Sekiranun Shinsei were put in place. Externally, Sanda’s victory over the Land Of Demon invaders earned him great fame: recognition of Kumogakure's strength by external powers was expressed in terms of diplomatic representation at his court and delineation of Kumogakure's boundaries with its adjacent colonies. Sanda expanded his government and annexed small territories in the Land of Demons following the end of the war. He is widely called "Kaminari No Kami" for this. Although the war had ended the Raikage's position as ruler had become precarious: there were still smaller terrorist groups that would revolt against him. He was engaged in petty military campaigns against a wide array of rebels. Likewise, Kumogakure was also threatened by the encroachment of Shinobi from the Land of Demons seeking to undermine his sovereignty. Later in his reign, Sanda established the first Cabinet of Ministers to help in the administration of the provisional government, appointing trusted and widely respected nobles and retainers to the first Ministries (known as Tengoku). These ministers would remain in place until their dismissal following a coup attempt in which Sekiranun Shinsei (special advisor to the group's parliamentary league) was accused of attempting to seize power. Conflict with Sekiranun Shinsei Despite Sekiranun's conflict with authority, he displayed enterprise and a dedication to duty, Sekiranun had an independent character which often put him at odds with the Raikage, and despite the demonstration of his skill as governor of northern province, because of his early Tengoku connections and the civil unrest that had gripped the capital (demonstrations made by Tengoku sympathizers), Sekiranun, was apprehended again and kept under house arrest for some time given his acrimonious relations with the elite. After his release from house arrest, the Raikage attempted to mend their relationship and found another use for Sekiranun: Sekiranun assumed the titular governorship of the northern province, a realm of marginal importance, but one that enabled him to continue his studies. He was given the duty of drafting another Constitution of the nation to reconcile the needs of the masses within the confines of the nations traditional laws. Sekiranun "could be said to have been waiting almost all his life for just an occasion"; however, his draft was subjected to close scrutiny by the Raikage and his associates, who modified Sekiranun's text "to meet their standard." Changes included the legislative powers granted to the parliament were reduced, and instead of Sekiranun's proposal that the deputies be appointed the final draft made them elected. Three months after the promulgation of the constitution, Sekiranun was made Minister of Finance, but he lasted in that office barely more than a month. It is believed the reason for this brief tenure was due to an attempt made on his life given his many conflicts not only with other ministers but with the Raikage himself. Initially, in spite of their differences, the two seemed to maintain a cordial relationship as they had the same goal in mind which was to preserve and protect the welfare of the villages. But this placed Sekiranun at odds with the Raikage whom he felt responsible for the attempt at his life. At some point, Sekiranun went into exile: it is wildly believed that he was hunted down and killed by Anbu Black Ops. The Raikage explicitly denied having any involvement in the so-called assassination when questioned by a few of his peers who were sympathetic to Sekiranun's cause. It is also believed that those closest to the Raikage acted clandestinely and felt the need to take matters into their own hands. (Spoiler) Sekiranun went into exile and became an immigrant to The Land of Demons known as Cloud. Upon discovering that Sekiranun Shinsei was still alive, and possibly conspiring with rebel groups against Kumogakure; Sanda ventures to the Land Of Demons to find Sekiranun in order to bring him into custody. When the two eventually cross paths in an old cathedral/shrine they engage in a conflict with the Raikage eventually coming out as the victor. They later discover that the two of them are there for the same enemy (The one responsible for the death of Sekiranun's mother who is also the head of the terrorist organization known as The Hive). When matters take a turn for the worse the two end up having to work together in order to escape a trap orchestrated to get them in the same place at the same time and kill each other off. Upon discovering that Sekiranun Shinsei was still alive, and possibly conspiring with rebel groups against Kumogakure; Sanda ventures to the Land Of Demons to find Sekiranun in order to bring him into custody. When the two eventually cross paths in an old cathedral/shrine they engage in a conflict with the Raikage eventually coming out as the victor. They later discover that the two of them are there for the same enemy (The one responsible for the death of Sekiranun's mother who is also the head of the terrorist organization known as The Hive). When matters take a turn for the worse the two end up having to work together in order to escape a trap orchestrated to get them in the same place at the same time and kill each other off. Abilities UNDER CONSTRUCTION